Easy Homemade Corn Muffins

Freshly baked corn muffins cooling on a cooling rack - 4

This recipe for Easy Homemade Corn Muffins is pure perfection! These simple muffins have a crusty exterior and a tender cornbread interior.

Serve the delicious muffins for breakfast or as a side with Chili Con Carne .

A plate of corn muffins with one cut in half with butter and honey drizzled over it - 5

It’s hard to beat a light and fluffy cornbread muffin with a buttery, brown exterior. They can be enjoyed in so many ways – from breakfast to a side for Chili Con Carne .

Why This Recipe Works

No special ingredients are needed – No buttermilk, or canned creamed corn – just simple, fine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, butter, milk, and eggs.
It’s simple to prepare – no soaking the cornmeal or special equipment – just a bowl and a wooden spoon are needed for this recipe.
Melted Butter adds flavor to this recipe instead of the usual vegetable oil most recipes call for. It’s also added to the pan to promote that beautifully browned exterior.

Should Corn Muffins Be Sweet?

This is a There is much debate on whether Corn Muffins should have sugar. Where you stand, usually depends on where in America you live. These corn muffins can be made with or without sugar to suit your taste.

I make them semi-sweet, but you can adjust the recipe according to how you like your cornbread.

Test the sweetness of the batter by making a mini pancake in a frying pan and adjusting the sweetness as needed before baking the muffins.

What Cornmeal Is Best

For this recipe, I recommend fine cornmeal (known in some countries as ‘Polenta Flour’). Fine cornmeal makes a much more moist and tender muffin.

Getting A Crispy Exterior On Cornbread Muffins

The trick to the buttery, golden crust on these corn muffins is brushing a metal pan with melted butter and heating the pan in the oven before adding the batter.

It doesn’t take much butter, so I just add an extra teaspoon to the recipe. Dip a brush in the melted butter and brush it over the sections in the pan.

Place the buttered pan in the preheated oven while you mix the batter. Then add the batter to the heated, buttered pan.

How To Make Corn Muffins

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Form a well into the middle of the mixture.

The dry ingredients in a large bowl with a well in the middle - 7

Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, and oil into the well of dry ingredients.

The eggs, milk, butter, and oil added to the dry ingredients in a bowl - 8

Mix until combined.

The mixed batter for the corn muffins - 9

Divide batter into the heated, buttered pan.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.

freshly baked corn muffins still in the pan - 11

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Freshly baked corn muffins cooling on a cooling rack - 12

These muffins are served warm with butter (and maybe a little honey or jam)

A plate of corn muffins with one cut in half with butter and honey drizzled over it - 13

Tips For Best Results

This recipe calls for fine cornmeal. Using coarse cornmeal may result in a dry muffin.
Be sure not to over mix the batter. I recommend using a simple wooden spoon instead of an electric mixer as the overworked batter will result in a heavy, dense muffin.
Lumps are fine. When making corn muffins, you want a few lumps in the batter. They’ll hydrate during baking give texture.
Always check cornmeal for freshness . Cornmeal can go bad. Good cornmeal will have a sweet smell. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty.

More Great Recipes

Blueberry Muffins
Crumb Cake
Award Winning Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Easy Homemade Cornbread

Variations

Bacon & Cheddar Corn Muffins: Add ¾ cup of grated cheddar and 1 cup of cooked, chopped bacon before adding to the pan.
Honey Corn Muffins: Add 1 cup of honey to the batter when adding the other wet ingredients.

How do you store Cornbread Muffins?

Wrap well or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want your corn muffins to stay fresh for longer, store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Can cornbread muffins be frozen?

Yes, they freeze well. To freeze, add the cooled muffins to a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, leave to thaw at room temperature for 1 hour.

What Cornmeal for Corn Muffins and Cornbread?

This recipe uses fine cornmeal (the photo below) also known as Polenta flour in the UK and Europe. This results in a light, fluffy and moist texture. Using coarse cornmeal will result in a much drier muffin.

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Ingredients

▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▢ 2 cups fine cornmeal
▢ 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like your muffins)
▢ 2 tablespoons baking powder
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 4 eggs (beaten)
▢ 2 cups milk
▢ 1 stick (plus 1 teaspoon) salted butter (melted and cooled)
▢ 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400°f/ 200°c Prepare a muffin pan by brushing a thin coating of melted butter over the sections in the pan. Place the buttered pan in the preheated oven while you mix the batter. Note: this step is optional and the recipe can be made using a greased, nonheated pan instead.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and form a well into the middle of the mixture.
Mix egg, milk, melted butter, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Pour into the well of dry ingredients; mix well.
If using a preheated pan, carefully remove the heated pan from the oven. Divide batter into the sections of the pan, filling them ¾ of the way. This makes a large muffin (20 to 24 muffins).
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Tips

What Cornmeal

Top Tips

Be sure not to over mix the batter. I recommend using a simple wooden spoon instead of an electric mixer as the overworked batter will result in a heavy, dense muffin.
Lumps are fine. When making corn muffins, you want a few lumps in the batter. They’ll hydrate during baking give texture.
Always check cornmeal for freshness . Cornmeal can go bad. Good cornmeal will have a sweet smell. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty.

Nutrition